Valley Spared Wrecks

The latest blast of winter percipitation didn't do much damage in the Shenandoah Valley today, but the statewide storm claimed a life in Amelia County.

At about 11 a.m., police say, the driver of a 1997 GMC Sonoma lost control of his vehicle, ran off the left side of the road and struck an embankment. The SUV flipped and struck a tree. The 30-year-old driver, who was not wearing his seat belt, police say, died at the scene. Speed and weather were factors in the crash, police say.

As of about 3:30 p.m., troopers had responded to 800 crashes statewide since midnight. They had also responded to 316 disabled vehicles and more than 2,000 calls for service.

In the Culpeper division, which includes Rockingham and 12 other counties, troopers responded to 308 calls for service, including 128 traffic crashes and 61 disabled vehicles.

As of 2 p.m., most of the Valley received about 4 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas, including Timberville received about 7 inches.